SIOUX FALLS, S.D. Lawrence Alexander sat at the postgame press conference with a net hanging around his neck. If he had put it on his back, it would have been more fitting. That's where he carried his North Dakota State basketball team -- again.
This time, it was all the way to the NCAA tournament.
The Bison senior continued a remarkable and unexpected season with a 25-point performance against South Dakota State in the Summit League championship game Tuesday night in a 57-56 victory in front of an extremely hostile crowd at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
Remarkable?
Alexander came into the season as the team's only senior and would be surrounded by a redshirt freshman, a true freshman, two still-raw sophomores and a collection of other role players.
Unexpected?
The Bison lost almost of its scoring, and the league player of the year in Taylor Braun, from an NCAA tournament team last year. NDSU was picked by the experts (what do they know?) to finish fifth in the Summit League.
Instead, the Bison will be dancing again.
Somebody at the postgame press conference asked Alexander what he thought about playing one of the big boys in the Big Dance.
"Once the ball goes up, it's anybodys game," he said.
Even though it's likely the Bison won't be higher than a 15th seed, who is to doubt him?
This Bison team has scrapped, slogged, scratched and clawed its way to 23 victories. Forget about the fact NDSU was crushed by ranked big-time teams Texas and Iowa to start the season, the Bison escaped -- repeat, escaped -- awful Division II team Minnesota-Crookston in a one-point victory early in the season.
But as was the case all season, this collection of undersized and under-appreciated players were the ones left standing at the end. During a late timeout, with the game on the line and nearly 9,000 rabid Jackrabbits fans breathing down their necks, the Bison didn't blink.
"They were great," Bison coach Dave Richman said about the mood in the huddle. "We wanted this stage. Our knew our backs were going to be against the wall with this hostile South DakotaState crowd."
The Summit League loves Sioux Falls, as it should, because this year's tournament set attendance (and therefore revenue) records. But with a Brookings team in the finals, it is undoubtedly a home site. Richman isn't complaining. It's the third time the Bison have won the title since moving to Division I.
"It's been good to us, so you're not going to get any complaints from me," Richman said.
This one wasn't decided until the end, as all the NDSU titles have been. The Bison were up 51-42 with 6:33 remaining and looked like they were ready to put the outcome to bed. But NDSU began missing shots, the Jacks began to finally make a couple and before you knew it, it was a one-point game with Alexander on the free throw line with 8 seconds left.
Just the right guy at the right time in the right situation. Right?
Surprisingly, not this time. Alexander missed the free throw, the Jackrabbits rebounded and Deondre Parks got a decent enough look at a game-winning 3-pointer as the clock drained away. He missed and the Bison celebrated.
Alexander was named the MVP of the tournament. Of course.
"It's special," Richman said. "He's a tremendous player, one of the greatest ever to put on aNorth Dakota State uniform. I'll hang out with the kid for the rest of my life. He's a way better kid than he is a player."
And he must have a hell of a strong back.
(Mike McFeely is a talk-show host at 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. He can be heard 2-5 p.m.weekdays. Follow him on Twitter @MikeMcFeelyKFGO.)